Beer-cooler.



PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905.

R. S. WIESENFELD.

BEER COOLER.

APPLICATION FILED o.cT,24,19o4.

[Nl/ENTOR Wl LVESSES; gil/LW g2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEER-COOLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed October 24, 1904. Serial No. 229,765.

To all wiz/m it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. WIEsEN- FELD, a citizen`of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Beer-Coolers, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

My invention relates to an improvement in beer-coolers, and has for itsobject simplicity of parts, which will be effectual in action, wherebyto quickly cool the beer during its passage therethrough ready forconsumption at the bar or counter; and it consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts, which will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows one form of my improvedbeer-cooler. Fig. 2 is a section through the valve mechanism, and Fig. 3is a detail perspective view of the valve and valve-stem proper.

A represents an outer receptacle adapted to contain one or morebeer-tanks, which may be independent of each other or in communication.This outer chamber is adapted to be filled with ice or other coolingmeans, and each tank preferably has a central recess, likewise adaptedto be Jfilled with ice, as at 1, whereby the beer under pressure whichsupplies the tank or tanks through pipe 2 from the keg is held in acomparatively thin volume exposed to the influence of the cooling meanson as many sides as ossible and` in this comparatively thin vo ume. Therecess 1 in the tank may be closed by means of a screw-cap 3. Anotherand a principal object of my invention is to provide a means forpermitting a relieving of pressure within the tank for any purposedesired, and to this end I provide an aperture 18 in the upper end ofthe tank, which is closed by means of a wing-nut 19. This wing-nut isprovided with a depending externally-threaded nipple 20, having a seatformed therein, said nut being provided with a passage extendingtherethrough and through the nipple, as well as through a boss 4,located exteriorly of the nut, the bore of the boss having a shoulder 22formed therein and being threaded. Seated on the shoulder in the boss isone end of the pipe 8, the pipe preferably, although not necessarily,extending through an enlarged hole in the counter and being threaded atits upper end to receive an apertured cap 12. The hole in the counter orbar is conically shaped at its lower end to receive the cone 14, looselymounted exteriorly of the pipe, whereby a tight joint is formed, as wellas providing an enlarged bearing-surface to prevent the accidentalrupture of the pipe at that point owing to a movement of the tank. Thepipe also carries exteriorly thereof a fixed collar 21, located beneaththe cone, and a spring 23 is seated on the collar, the opposite end ofthe spring engaging and forcing the cone into the hole in the counter atall times.

A valve 5 is seated in the valve-seat 6 in the nipple 20, the valvehaving a valve-stem 7, extending upward through the passage 24 l in thenut and boss, the upper end of the stem being adjustably secured to arod 25, having a shoulder 26 near its upper end, which end passesthrough the aperture in the cap 12 and is provided with a knob 9, thecap adapted to engage the shoulder 26 on the rod. An a ertured cup 1 1is removably secured upon t e threaded nipple 20, the cup-containing aspring 10, which normally engages the valvedisk 5 to retain it on itsseat.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the excess pressure 1n the tankgains access t0 the valve 5 through the apertured cup 11, and hence whenit is desired to relieve the pressure in the tank the operator pressesdown upon the knob 9, thereby depressing the valve 5 against the actionof the spring to permit the escape of the confined gas. In the eventthat it is desired to relieve the pressure entirely or to a great extentthe cap 12 may be screwed down upon the pipe 8, and by reason of theengagement of the shoulder 26 with the cap the valve will be opened andheld open until the cap is screwed back to its normal position.

The cone 14 on the pipe is adapted to close the opening in the shelf orcounter through which the pipe extends.

An outlet-pipe 15 extends from the bottom of the tank to some pointwithin convenient reach of the attendant at the bar, where it isprovided with a spigot 16 for drawing off the beer.

The bottom 17 of the tank or tanks preferably slope in order tofacilitate drawing out or draining the contents.

It is obvious that various different arran ements of tanks might beresorted to besi es those shown and described and that other slightchanges might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the severalparts described without departing from the s irit and scope of myinvention, and hence do not IOO IIO

Wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination With a receptacle, o f a pressure-relieving meanscomprising a pipe, the bore of which is in communication With theinterior of the receptacle, a valve for closing the communicationbetween the receptacle and pipe, a spring for supporting the valve, anadjustable cup for holding the spring, a valve stem connected With thevalve and extending through the pipe into a position Where access may behad thereto for manipulating the valve and an adjustable cap mountedonthe pipe and adapted to engage the valve-stem for retaining the valvein open position.

2. The combination with a receptacle adapted to contain fluid underpressure, and provided With an aperture therein, of a nut removablyreceived in the aperture and provided With an internal nipple having avalveseat formed therein, a boss located exteriorly on the nut, the bossprovided With a bore extending through the nut and nipple, a pipesecured to the boss, a rod received in the pipe and projecting therefromat one end, a valve carried by the rod and received in the valveseat inthe nipple, a perforated cup received upon the nipple, a spring in thecup for maintaining the valve on its seat, and means carried by the pipeand engaging the rod to hold the valve open against the tension of 'thespring. y

3. The combination with a receptacle, of a closure having a bore, saidclosure being mounted in the receptacle, a nipple carried by the closurein line With the bore, and having a valve-seat in communication With theinterior of the receptacle, a perforated cup removably secured to thenipple, a valve received in the valve-seat, a spring carried by the cupand engaging the valve to retain it in closed position, means connectedWith the 2 l sosjli valve for opening it against the tension of thespring and means for locking the valve in open position.

4. The combination With a receptacle, of a pressure-releasing mechanismconnected therewith, the mechanism comprising a removable supportingmeans carried by the receptacle, a shoulder-boss on the supportingmeans, said supporting means being provided With a passage therethroughand through the boss, a pipe removably seated on the shoulder intheboss, and forming a continuation of said passage, a valve seated in thepassage, means'for retaining the valve in closed position, a rodreceived in the pipe and projecting therefrom and connected With thevalve and means engaging the rod for locking the valve in open position.Y

5. The combination With a receptacle, of a pressure-relieving mechanismtherefor, comprising a valve-supporting means, having a passage formedtherethrough, a valve for closing the passage, a pipe forming acontinuation of said passage, a rod received in the pipe, and projectingoutside the pipe, means adjustably connecting the valve and roddandmeans for normally retaining the valve in closed position.

6. The combination with a receptacle, of pressure-relieving meanstherefor, comprising a supporting means having a passage formedtherethrough, a valve closing the passage, means normally retaining thevalve in closed position, a tube forming a continuation of said passage,and secured to the supporting means, a rod received in the tube andconnected With the valve, a shoulder on the rod andvmeans adjustablymounted on the tube and adapted to engage the shoulder for locking thevalve in open position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two-Witnesses.

ROBERT S. VVIESENFELD.y Witnesses:

E. WALTON BREWINGTON, J. A. HILLEARY, Jr.

